STRAY CAT SCRATCH
by Phe-chan
Summary: Out for a stroll in the woods, Naruto's busy fingers land him more trouble than he bargained for.


Authoress' Note:

I do not own any characters from anime or manga that may appear in this work. I have imprisoned them against their will to perform menial tasks such as…. uhhh…shelling peas!

*A motley collection of characters appears with bowls of peas *

Vegeta: "… You've _got_ to be kidding me."

Ranma: "….She's serious, isn't she?!"

Kenshin: *Jumps up and down * "Yay! Peas!"

Other two: "…"

~ *~*~*~*~

STRAY CAT SCRATCH

Session One: What's yours is mine. 

The canopy of a thickly forested valley trembled and broke, as a flock of startled birds flapped away into the vast blue of the sky and complained noisily to one another. Far below the elm and cypress boughs, two human youngsters were circling each other, stirring the leaf litter in all directions beneath their feet.

"I'LL TEACH YOU TO TAKE WHAT'S MINE!" A young boy cried out in pain as a rough wooden staff was forcefully cracked down upon his shoulder. 

Glaring, the boy slowly rose and adjusted is leaf headband. "Listen lady, I don't know what your problem is…but I FOUND THIS ON THE GROUND!"

Her gaze equally hateful, the girl flicked back her long, white blond hair from her thin, but pretty face marred by two long blue scars, running near her eyes in sweeping curves.

"Correction, you found it around _my neck_ on the ground. Give it to me, now."

"What…this?" Seemingly innocent, the blonde haired boy produced a polished stone, pierced through its center and strung with a leather thong. Arrogantly, he began twirling it on his index finger.

"_Yes_." Growling, the girl brandished her staff in her left hand, and held out her right, palm up. 

"Finders keepers," The boy stuck a finger under one eye and poked out his tongue,"Naa nah!" Glowering, the girl sprang upon her tormentor, seizing the moment and dealing out vicious blows like a tyrannical wildcat. The boy's breath was beaten from his body, his orange tracksuit torn and bloodied in numerous places. Never had he expected such an onslaught. The girl's deep brown eyes glinted with each strike that met flesh. She paused for a moment, letting the butt of her staff rest on the boy's chest.

"You are spent. Return my stone."

The boy grinned, "Oh, I would, only if…"

"If?"

A voice whispered into her ear, "If I were _me._" Struggling helplessly, the girl felt a grimy hand pressing against her mouth, and the other tickling her back with a small blade. Amused, the boy relaxed his grip a little and laughed.

"What village do you come from, anyway? You were caught off guard by the most standard doppelganger technique! I mean, even me- the wors- I mean, the _best_ pupil in class could-"

"That's enough, Naruto." The boy's face paled as he looked slightly back over his shoulder. 

"_Crap!_"

The voice belonged to a man, of a medium build and height, and sporting the same leaf style headband as the boy, now revealed as Naruto. An insulated jacket (pockets a plenty) was worn over his dark coloured shirt, with sleeves rolled up to the elbow. Pants of a similar fabric were bound by white cloth from the knee down. A dark bandanna covered completely the lower half of his young, apparently bored face and his spiky white hair tilted slightly in one direction, like the cap of a great wave approaching the shore.

"Who's your new friend?" Silently, he walked over on worn sandals and bent down to scrutinize the captive's face. In a matter-of-fact fashion, Naruto drew himself up to what height he had.

"Master Kakashi, she is definitely not- YEEEOWWWCH!! Naruto nursed his bleeding hand, and the girl snatched the stone from him, retreating backwards. Pulling a face, she spat out a mixture of blood and saliva onto the ground.

Accusingly, Naruto pointed a finger of his non-bleeding hand in her direction.

"She BIT me!"

His eyes never leaving the wild looking girl, Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's head. "It would seem so.."

"Is it possible to die from blood loss?" 

"Sshh. Hey! Wait, we're not going to hurt you… Come back!" His words fell on deaf ears. The girl was already beating a hasty retreat through the trees, the blue and green stone bouncing against her neck, tied tightly in it's rightful place. Within an instant, she was gone, leaves trailing in her wake. Kakashi picked up the forgotten staff and twirled it expertly in his hands. It was light, but perfectly balanced.

"Naruto." The poor kid's face was the picture of apprehension.

"Yes?" 

"Extra drills. For three days. Starting _now._"

"Awww! But whhh-yyy?"

"Because I said so. Obviously you were not listening to a single thing I've been teaching. You allowed yourself to be beaten into an unrecognizable pulp."

"…." Grinding his teeth, Naruto stomped off into a clearing, muttering things that made Kakashi smile beneath his mask. He turned his attention back to the staff. It had been a long time since he'd handled such a weapon. Smoothly, as the sky turned grey with rain clouds, he went through the motions of striking and defense. Later, before the storm worsened, he collected Naruto from where he had fallen into a pond, and ushered him back towards the school. Wherever she was, he hoped the little fireball was all right, and that she had somewhere safe and dry to bide out the gale. . .


End file.
